Mascara applicator



Patented Aug. 12, 1941 MASCARA APPLIGAT OR JohnO. Brollier' and ElcanorG. Brollier, Los Angeles, Oalifi, assignors to 'Arth'ur 0. Hanisch,

Altadena, Calif.

Application October 12, 1939, Serial ma '4 Claims. (cum-1) Our invention relates generally to-ameans of beautifying the eyelashes, and more particularly to a means for applying mascara thereto.

Women have long attempted to beautify their eyelashes, and to this end have been developed mascara, eyelash curlers, etc. Mascara for darkening the eyelashes is perhaps the most widely used of these aids to beauty, but while the mascara itself is relatively satisfactory, the method and means of applying it have left much to be desired. The almost universally used means of applying mascara is a soft brush which is charged with the mascara and then applied to the eyelashes. If mascara in the form of a paste isapplied to the brush, it is not evenly applied'to the. surface thereof, and thus an excessiveamount is applied to some of the lashes, causing them to stick together.

When the hardened cake-type of mascara is used, the cake must first be moistened, and then soften the mascara and to charge the brush. This is a very unsatisfactory method, since it is not always convenient to moisten the: cake; the

operation is dirty and messy; more of the 'cake,

is moistened than is used, and this portion which is not used rapidly deteriorates; the excessively moist mascara, when applied to the eyelashes, causes them to stick together; and the mascara, being water soluble, runs when it is wetted.

In addition to these objections, when a brush is used to apply mascara to the eyelashes, the greatest amount of mascara is usually applied where the brush first touches the lashes, and

thus the portion nearer the eyelids is. darkened.

vide such a means which carries itsown supply ofmascara, sufficient for a repeated number of applicationsover a period of time, the means being so inexpensive that it may be. and is intended to be discarded when the supply of mascara becomes exhausted.

It is also an object of our invention to provide a mascara applicator which may be carried in a pocket or handbag without danger of staining the latter, and which may be used without any moistening.

These and other objects of ourinvention will become apparentfrom the following description of' a preferred form thereof, and from the drawing illustrating that'form, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of my device,

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof,

. f Fig. 3 is a side elevational view,'and 20 the brush is rubbed over the moistened portion to Fig.4 is an end elevation.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral I0 indicates a relatively thin resilient member, bent in the form of a U as shown in Fig. 3, and provided at each of its, open ends with a widened portion forming arms II and lid, perpendicular to the stemsfof the U-shaped member, and givor similar material, extending the entire length and width of the arm and cementedor otherwise more than the tips. However, the eyelashes are normally darker nearest the eyelid, and more bleached or faded at their tips, and thus the mascara is most heavily applied where it is least needed.

applicator lies in the fact that the individual bristles of the brush come loose and may stick the user in the eye, causing discomfort, if not actual injury to the eye. In addition, when using a brush, it is diilicult to apply the mascara to the entire length of the lashes without getting some of it on the eyelids, which, when some forms of mascara are used, is very objectionable.

It is, therefore, an object of our invention to provide a means for applying mascara which overcomes the above-mentioned difiiculties, and which at the same time is simple and convenient to use.

It is a further object of our invention to pro- A further disadvantage of using the brush securely attached thereto. A thinner pad l2 of felt or other suitable material, and of the same size as pad I3, is similarly attached to the inside surface of the arm II, and the thicker felt pad l3is then impregnated with a preferably water insoluble mascara inpaste form. In the claims,

we will use the term padfto indicate a layer of any suitable absorbent material.

When the stems of the member II) are squeezed toward each other, so that the arms II and Ila .arepressed together, normally only the outer edges ofthepads 2 and l3 will touch, and to prevent this, and to permit the entire surfaces of the two pads to come in contact with each other, we prefer to provide slight bends in the member Ill, so that the arms H and Ila are in substantially parallel planes when their respective pads are in contact.

In use, the applicator is gently closed on the eyelashes by squeezing the stems of the member Ill, so that the pads l2 and I3 are pressed against the lashes. In this way, the mascara is evenly applied by pressure to all of the lashes and over their entire length, so that they are darkened etc. without danger of the mascara running. It

is possible to impregnate the pad with a sufficient amount of mascara to last the average user for a period of several months.

By making one of the pads relatively thin, it is a simple matter to place the arm ll, carrying the thinner pad l2, between the eyelid and the lashes and then bring the thicker, impregnated pad [3 against the latter to apply the mascara. This is particularly advantageous in applying the mascara to the lower eyelashes where, because of their shorter length and their location nearer the eyelid, it is difiicult to apply the mascara properly with the usual brush.

It will be apparent, of course, that when the thicker, felt pad l3 alone is impregnated with mascara, the thinner pad will become coated and usually impregnated with it before long. However, it is the thicker pad [3 which continues to act; as the main supply means, and this is as it should be, for it is this pad which comes in contact with the surface of the lashes away from the eyelid, the surface on which it is most important that the mascara be applied. It will be understood, of course, that if desired, both pads can be impregnated with the mascara or the thin pad can be impregnated alone, although this is not recommended.

While other materials may be used to make ,7

apart, and hence the user need only press the arms together when the device is used. If the arms were not resiliently mounted, the user would have to separate them each time before engaging the eyelashes, while with a suitable resilient mounting such as shown in our preferred form, the arms are automatically separated an amount such that the lashes are readily inserted between the pads without the slightest difficulty.

It will be apparent that if desired, the arms H and Ila may be formed parallel to or at an angle to the stems of the U-shaped member ID without in any way departing from the basic idea here developed. Also, the arms and pads instead of being straight may be curved to fit the eye, and other means of resiliently mounting the arms may be employed.

For convenience in carrying, we prefer to provide a clip, not shown, preferably in the shape of a channel-shaped member which may be clipped over the arms I l and I la to hold them together and prevent their spreading and staining adjacent objects. In addition, a small leather case may be provided, and the applicator may then be carried in the purse and used whenever and wherever necessary.

Thus it will be seen that we have provided a novel and improved inexpensive throw-away mascara applicator which may be simply and conveniently used, is readily carried without danger of soiling the purse or pocket, and which applies the mascara in a manner superior to that possible with heretofore existing means. While we have shown and described a preferred form of our invention, we do not wish to be limited to the particular form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown, or particularly covered by our claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. An applicator device having resilient absorbent complementary means adapted to simultaneously engage substantially the entire length of each of a plurality of eyelashes, at least one of said means being impregnated with a supply of mascara in a moist state sufficient for a repeated number of applications over a period of time, other means whereby a positive pressure may be transferred to said resilient means to bring the same into pressure contact with each -other with the eyelashes there between to cause said resilient means to be compressed to exert -a yielding pressure on the eyelashes and to discharge a portion of said mascara upon substan- "t1al1y the entire surface of each eyelash so engaged.

- 2. An applicator device having a pair of oppositely disposed arms, resilient absorbent pads attached to each of the inner opposing surfaces of said arms, said pads being adapted to simultaneously engage substantially the entire length of each of a plurality of eyelashes, at least one of said pads being impregnated with a supply of mascara in a moist state sufi'lcient for a repeated number of applications over a period of time, sa1d arms serving as means whereby a positive pressure may be transferred to said opposing pads to bring the same into pressure contact with each other with eyelashes therebetween to cause said pads to be compressed to exert a yielding pressure on the eyelashes and to discharge a portion-of said mascara upon substantially the entire surface of each eyelash so engaged.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which said pads are of different thicknesses but otherwise are of substantially the same eyelash engaging area.

4. A device as set forth in claim 2 in which said arms are substantially parallel to each other and comprise the end portions of each stem of a resilient Ushaped member.

JOHN C. BROLLIER. ELEANOR G. BROLLIER. 

